Putting on the inches

Since we were talking about a deer adding inches in a year I thought I would show this example. These two pictures are of the same deer 10 months apart. One taken on 1/2/06 and the other on 11/5/06

11/5/06

11/5/06

I don’t know how many inches in put on in a year but it had to be over 20.

I don’t know how many inches in put on in a year but it had to be over 20.

That was a nice Jump Scott.

In ND we see the biggest jump from 3.5 to 4.5 typically. 20-30 seems to be very common and have seen close to 40 on a few. Sometimes it is nice to see that jump from 2.5 to 3.5. We have one 3.5 this year, that we are not sure we saw last year??? Currently, he is on the NO SHOOT list for my buddy and I. The girls have the green light, but is off limits to us. Right now he is a nice 5×5 with long brows and in the 140″ neighborhood. A real nice looking buck.

Scott how old was that buck do you think, that was harvested in your pic???

Good Topic

That was a nice Jump Scott.

In ND we see the biggest jump from 3.5 to 4.5 typically. 20-30 seems to be very common and have seen close to 40 on a few. Sometimes it is nice to see that jump from 2.5 to 3.5. We have one 3.5 this year, that we are not sure we saw last year??? Currently, he is on the NO SHOOT list for my buddy and I. The girls have the green light, but is off limits to us. Right now he is a nice 5×5 with long brows and in the 140″ neighborhood. A real nice looking buck.

Scott how old was that buck do you think, that was harvested in your pic???

Good Topic

I think they probably put on the most inches from 3.5 to 4.5 yrs of age, but I think that they show the biggest percentage of groth from 1.5 to 2.5 yrs. It seems like the little baskets at 1.5 are easily doubled in size at 2.5yrs. The total inch growth is greater later on, but the incredible change from those ‘boyhood’ years to when that buck turns into a ‘man’ is pretty cool.

Tim

I think they probably put on the most inches from 3.5 to 4.5 yrs of age, but I think that they show the biggest percentage of groth from 1.5 to 2.5 yrs. It seems like the little baskets at 1.5 are easily doubled in size at 2.5yrs. The total inch growth is greater later on, but the incredible change from those ‘boyhood’ years to when that buck turns into a ‘man’ is pretty cool.

Tim

That’s gotta be a beautiful mount. If I remember correctly, that’s your dad that got him, isn’t it ?

big g

That’s gotta be a beautiful mount. If I remember correctly, that’s your dad that got him, isn’t it ?

big g

He was 3.5 according to the DNR and measured 142 total inches.

He was 3.5 according to the DNR and measured 142 total inches.

I was always led to believe that a 1-1/2 year old is usually a fork horn or possibly a 6 pnt buck. I’ve got a book that states that the yearlings usually only have buttons. When they reach 1-1/2 they have forks or possibly 6 point little baskets. The book states that when a buck reaches 2-1/2 years that the antlers are now in the configuration that they will be the remainder of the deer’s life. For instance at 1-1/2 years a buck may only be a little fork horn but at 2-1/2 years bucks have grown the maximum number of points and antler configuration that they will have the rest of their lives. An eight or ten point main frame will always have the same number of points once the deer reaches 2-1/2 years of age. There are exceptions to this rule but for the majority of whitetails this is the way their antlers develop. Of course the antlers get longer and heavier every year until the buck reaches prime age at around 5-1/2 to 6-1/2 years. After that the antlers begin to shrink every year. The book shows complete antler sheds from the same deer for like 11 years. I’m certain that there are several of you people out there that have this same book by Cox and Ortega I believe. I purchased it through NAHC. Lots of great photos in the book and much of it was photoed in Wisconsin.

Based on this I would think the greatest growth of antlers would be between the ages of 1-1/2 years to 2-1/2 years. A 1-1/2 year old deer may only have little fork horns or spikes but could possibly have a 10-point frame at age 2-1/2. The 2-1/2 year old 10 point set of antlers will not be heavy but might score upwards to the 120 to 130 inch range at just 2-1/2 years. This from a fork horn the year before would be a tremendous number of inches in one year.

I was out last night with a couple buddies checking trail cams and looking for deer. I’ve got the fever bad but have no choice but to wait until October. I’ll be practicing daily now in the back yard.

I was always led to believe that a 1-1/2 year old is usually a fork horn or possibly a 6 pnt buck. I’ve got a book that states that the yearlings usually only have buttons. When they reach 1-1/2 they have forks or possibly 6 point little baskets. The book states that when a buck reaches 2-1/2 years that the antlers are now in the configuration that they will be the remainder of the deer’s life. For instance at 1-1/2 years a buck may only be a little fork horn but at 2-1/2 years bucks have grown the maximum number of points and antler configuration that they will have the rest of their lives. An eight or ten point main frame will always have the same number of points once the deer reaches 2-1/2 years of age. There are exceptions to this rule but for the majority of whitetails this is the way their antlers develop. Of course the antlers get longer and heavier every year until the buck reaches prime age at around 5-1/2 to 6-1/2 years. After that the antlers begin to shrink every year. The book shows complete antler sheds from the same deer for like 11 years. I’m certain that there are several of you people out there that have this same book by Cox and Ortega I believe. I purchased it through NAHC. Lots of great photos in the book and much of it was photoed in Wisconsin.

Based on this I would think the greatest growth of antlers would be between the ages of 1-1/2 years to 2-1/2 years. A 1-1/2 year old deer may only have little fork horns or spikes but could possibly have a 10-point frame at age 2-1/2. The 2-1/2 year old 10 point set of antlers will not be heavy but might score upwards to the 120 to 130 inch range at just 2-1/2 years. This from a fork horn the year before would be a tremendous number of inches in one year.

I was out last night with a couple buddies checking trail cams and looking for deer. I’ve got the fever bad but have no choice but to wait until October. I’ll be practicing daily now in the back yard.

This is typical of what we see at 1 1/2 usually 4-8 points.

This is typical of what we see at 1 1/2 usually 4-8 points.

Here is a little 1 1/2 starring down a 2 1/2 with a messed up rack but it shows the two different age classes and face sizes pretty well.

Here is a little 1 1/2 starring down a 2 1/2 with a messed up rack but it shows the two different age classes and face sizes pretty well.

Yup. Those are 1-1/2 year old bucks. My Dad calls them butter bucks because they are so tender and good eating. I admit that I’ve taken a couple of these small bucks back when I first began bow hunting. Now I let them pass by hoping to get them back in bow range in a few years. In only a year these little butter bucks will have considerably different looking antlers. I had been told by the group of guys I used to shotgun hunt with that the spike bucks will never develop antlers and should be culled out of the herd. However I had IDNR wildlife biologist tell me that a 1-1/2 year old spike buck will normally have a rack of some sort or another the following year so the guys I used to hunt with had been misinformed. I guess that is why you don’t see older bucks with spike antlers. The number of points and the rate at which they grow has to do with genetics and the quality of food sources. Right now the bucks are feeding heavily on soybean leaves at night. The same biologist told me that one of the reasons Iowa has such big bucks is due to the leaves on the soybean plants. There is something in the leaves that promotes antler growth and the bucks like to feast on them while they are green. Once the the leaves turn yellow the bucks leave them alone.

Eyehunter

Yup. Those are 1-1/2 year old bucks. My Dad calls them butter bucks because they are so tender and good eating. I admit that I’ve taken a couple of these small bucks back when I first began bow hunting. Now I let them pass by hoping to get them back in bow range in a few years. In only a year these little butter bucks will have considerably different looking antlers. I had been told by the group of guys I used to shotgun hunt with that the spike bucks will never develop antlers and should be culled out of the herd. However I had IDNR wildlife biologist tell me that a 1-1/2 year old spike buck will normally have a rack of some sort or another the following year so the guys I used to hunt with had been misinformed. I guess that is why you don’t see older bucks with spike antlers. The number of points and the rate at which they grow has to do with genetics and the quality of food sources. Right now the bucks are feeding heavily on soybean leaves at night. The same biologist told me that one of the reasons Iowa has such big bucks is due to the leaves on the soybean plants. There is something in the leaves that promotes antler growth and the bucks like to feast on them while they are green. Once the the leaves turn yellow the bucks leave them alone.

Eyehunter

While some say teeth is the only sure way to judge a buck. I think you are pretty close with your logic of first year racks (butI’ve seen plenty of 8 point basket 1.5 Year olds), (not sure on the points and frame for life however).

Maybe we have a Whitetail farmer out there that can expand on this one.?????

While some say teeth is the only sure way to judge a buck. I think you are pretty close with your logic of first year racks (butI’ve seen plenty of 8 point basket 1.5 Year olds), (not sure on the points and frame for life however).

Maybe we have a Whitetail farmer out there that can expand on this one.?????

The fertility of the soil is a big reason Iowa grows big bucks. Plants pick up the nutrients from the soil, the deer eat the plants. That is why fertilizing and soil samples are so important in your food plots.

The better your soil, the better your deer growth rates will be. Obviously, there are other factors, but having great soil is a great start

The fertility of the soil is a big reason Iowa grows big bucks. Plants pick up the nutrients from the soil, the deer eat the plants. That is why fertilizing and soil samples are so important in your food plots.

The better your soil, the better your deer growth rates will be. Obviously, there are other factors, but having great soil is a great start

Over the last 5 years, this is the biggest 1 1/2 year old we have had pictures of. We just don’t get a lot of big 1 1/2’s in Northern MN

Over the last 5 years, this is the biggest 1 1/2 year old we have had pictures of. We just don’t get a lot of big 1 1/2’s in Northern MN

Excellent read guys!